The story of Harriet Tubman, an American hero

CHURCH CREEK, Md. — Harriet Tubman’s legendary life is on vivid display at the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, CBS News’ Chip Reid reports.

“What impresses you most about Harriet Tubman?” Reid asked Angelica Crenshaw, who works at the center.

CBS News

“Her resilience. She got knocked down so many times but she kept standing up,” Crenshaw said.

Born into slavery, as a young girl Tubman worked in the backwoods in brutal conditions.

“She had to know outdoor survival,” Crenshaw said.

That became a life-saver when she escaped slavery at age 27 and made the arduous journey to Pennsylvania — and freedom.

Over the next decade, she repeatedly risked her life, returning to Maryland about a dozen times to rescue more than 70 family members and friends. She guided them north along the Underground Railroad, a secret network of trails, waterways and safe houses.

Tina Wyatt, a direct descendant of Tubman, brought her grandchildren to the center to teach them about their heroic relative.